Dahlia
by blacksunset1214
Summary: Sin is a burden we must all carry. A burden we cannot avoid. After a decade of prosperity, the land of Castanet begins to weaken once again. In an attempt to save the Harvest Goddess, each of the villagers confess to a sin they had committed. But one by one, each of them are murdered. Nobody is safe, everybody is a suspect; there is no telling who it is.
1. Chapter 1

**The preview for this is finally here! Yay! I've been dying to post a fic like this… This is gonna be so much fun ;). Enjoy!**

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_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful goddess, the Harvest Goddess, who watched over the land and sea. She resided in the Goddess Pond with the five harvest sprites; Alan, Collin, Ben, Daren, and Edge. The sprites were magical creatures, but tiny as well; they were no taller than two feet. Each sprite guarded a bell, which were scattered all through the land of Castanet. But no, oh no, these were not ordinary bells, not at all. Each of these bells controlled a different element; fire, earth, water, air, and heart. Put together, they created the balance and peace of Castanet. However, the source from which the sprites acquired their might came from a divine tree situated in the middle of the Goddess Pond. When the tree had started to weaken, the energy of the Goddess and the sprites also weakened, and strength of the bells started to fade. Thus, Castanet was thrown into a period of turmoil._

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"Mommy, can you read a little more, please?" an eight-year old girl, Auden, pleaded to her mother. She mustered up the best puppy-dog face she could, and stuck out her bottom lip. Her twin brother, Reese, did the same.

"Sorry, you know the deal. A couple pages a night. Now, go wash up and get ready for bed, and I'll tuck you in." Angela smiled at her children. They made noises of disappointment, before complying. Shutting the book, she got up from the ground and walked over to the bookshelf, sliding it onto the top shelf.

"It's nice that you're finally reading it to them, after years of writing it," Angela jumped and turned around to meet a pair of violet eyes. It was only Chase, her husband.

"Don't scare me like that next time!" she punched him playfully. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"But it's fun seeing your reactions," he smirked.

She stuck her tongue at him and walked over to the dresser, getting out her pajamas. "One day I'll get my payback, you wait and see. But yeah, I'm glad I finally finished it. I started it what, like, three years ago? Time sure flies by." She reminisced, and then walked into the twins' bedroom when she saw them run in.

After Reese and Auden were both in bed, Angela went back to her bedroom and crawled onto the queen sized mattress and under the sheets. She reached over and flipped the switch to shut off the lamp, while Chase laid a hand on her waist. When they were in complete darkness, he buried his face in her hair and whispered, "Are you ever going to tell them who the story is based off of?"

"The day I die, maybe."

It's a shame that day would come very soon.

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**Hmmm, I'm sorry this is so short. I'll update soon. Like I said on my profile, I wanted to wait until I'd written out the whole thing before posting anything. But, I was getting absolutely nowhere with it, so I decided to post it anyways. It's Christmas break after this Friday, so I'll do some major typing during the week. I'm hoping this to be 15-20 chapters, max. This takes place in the future, so I've decided to cut people out. (There are like, 50-something people in Castanet, not including rival children or main characters. Oh, and I've also decided to include Kasey, Kevin, and Molly; they're going to play important roles in this. I hope you like it so far (a review would be nice). See you.**

**- blacksunset1214**


	2. Chapter 2

**Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you like this chapter. Things should start to pick up soon. Italics are thoughts, as always.**

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The next morning was no different than usual for Angela. Wake up, eat breakfast, send the kids to school, tend to the crops and animals, etc. In the afternoon, she would meet with friends and get a bite to eat; sometimes she would go mining. Today, though, she decided to visit someone she hadn't checked up on in awhile, the Harvest Goddess. It'd been about a year since her last visit.

Once she was done with her chores, the kids were at school, and her husband at work, Angela headed up the trail that led to the Garmon Mine District. Daylight bathed the area, casting dark shadows. Today was an especially hot day, as it was the middle of summer.

She walked through the tall grass and down the stone steps. Crystalline water gushed from nozzles embedded in the walls as Angela skipped through the stepping stones. _That's odd. It's quiet around here._ Normally, she would hear the sprites singing various tunes, or the jovial laughter of the Harvest Goddess once she entered. This time, it was eerily silent. The only noise came from chirping birds in the distance. Arriving at the divine tree, she looked around. There was no sign of the goddess or the sprites, anywhere. Everything looked exactly the same as it did a year ago. A breeze passed by, making the leaves rustle. The birds chirped louder, and cicadas joined the symphony as well.

"Hello?" Angela called out. "Is anybody here?" no response.

What's going on? Where is everybody?

"Ben? Collin? Edge?... Anybody?!" she was beginning to get frustrated. Leaning against the trunk of the divine tree, she tilted her head back, just in time to see one of its leaves fall off. What used to be luscious, emerald foliage turned to something completely different on the journey down. By the time it hit the ground, the leaf was a rusty, mucky brown. It was shriveled, and looked like it would break by one touch. Angela looked on in horror as another leaf fell. And another. And, upon a closer inspection of the bark, it had turned a sickly gray-green color.

"Oh goddess," she whispered. "This can't be happening again. I saved you a years ago!" She got up and ran as fast as she could, towards the church.

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"It has come to my attention recently, that the divine tree is once again beginning to fade," Perry's booming voice echoed throughout the church. Although he hadn't changed his appearance very much over the years, Perry had grown at least spiritually. Filled with the wisdom that is accumulated over many years, he often gave villagers advice. He was neither judgmental nor forceful; so many people would come to visit him every day.

Today, all the villagers of Castanet were gathered in an emergency meeting.

"If we do not act quickly, Castanet could fall into a state of anarchy." A gasp emerged from the crowd. Perry paused and waited for it to be done, before continuing. "Although the powers of the bells have been restored by Miss Angela, the Harvest Goddess once said in ancient text;

_The burden of sin is a weight on one's shoulders like no other. The land is home to people of good ethics; however, sin is almost unavoidable. One would have eventually sinned in their life. Eventually, the power of guilt will have taken a toll on them, and this land. Thus, my energy weakens._

That is why I have decided to set up a room, which I have dubbed the Confession Box. You may kneel down in front of the Goddess Shrine, and confess to sins you have committed in the past. I believe that with a purified soul, we can eventually save this land; Castanet will prosper once more."

Murmurs ran through the shocked crowd. They eventually nodded their heads in understanding. If confessing was what they needed to do, so be it. The only person who will be listening is the Harvest Goddess, anyways. Without another word, Perry dismissed them. They all filed out, the sunlight streaming in through the doorway. The light disappeared when the doors closed, leaving the church silent and dreary once again.

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**As you can see, this will not be following the storyline of Animal Parade. Only bits and pieces of it will be used, but not much. Confessions will start next time. Oh, and let's pretend that the divine tree has more branches, and way more leaves than what it looks like in the game. Hope to see you soon.**

**- blacksunset1214**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay, I updated quickly (for once)! Hope you like it, and don't hate me for making it too gore-y or disgusting. Confessions will always be told from the stated person's point of view.**

**Warning: gore, gore, gore.**

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**The Confession Box/Kathy; Summer 18, 3:45 AM**

Wow, it's really dark out. I figured I'd be pulling an all-nighter, so I thought I'd come to you, Harvest Goddess. Maybe it's because I'm so full of adrenaline that I'm wide awake. Either way, if I wanna save you, I've gotta confess. So… Here… Goes… Nothing. Um, well… Ah. Heh, I don't know why I'm so nervous. I'm alone here, right? Nobody's going to hear except for you… Okay, okay. Here goes nothing. So as you might know, I married Owen about eight years ago. Back then, it really was for love. But then years passed, and like some relationships, our love faded. We were unable to bear a child, and we are still unable to. You might think I'm lying, because I have a three-year old son, Cabel. I'm not, though, because Cabel sortofisn'treally his child. It's Kevin's. Yes, Angela's dorky cousin. I didn't mean to cheat on Owen at first, it just sort of happened. After, it escalated, until we fell completely in love with each other. And if I could, I'd divorce Owen in a heartbeat. But I can't. Adultery is practically forbidden here. I know if I ask any of my friends or family for advice, they'll tell me the same thing; go and be with him, if that's what you really want. Don't lose him just because of this silly thing. What's the worst they could do to you? I don't know what they could do to us, but I can't put that burden on Caleb and Kevin. That's why I'm still married to Owen, and still sneaking around with him. …Well, that's it. That's all I have to say. I'm going to go for a walk now. I hope one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my sins, Harvest Goddess.

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Kathy stood up and dusted her knees off. She made for the doorway after shrugging on her hoodie, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted off her chest. _Huh, maybe confessing to the goddess wasn't such a bad idea after all._ The cool nighttime breeze chilled her skin as she walked down the stone pathway towards the beach. She didn't want to return home to her family just yet; she wanted to live life, and feel the joys of being alone for once.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure quietly followed her path. A newly sharpened knife was in their hand, its silver blade glinting in the moonlight.

_Yes, oh yes. Her death would be the one to trigger many more. Everybody in Castanet will repent for their sins. Every last one of them._

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**Summer 19, 7:45 AM**

"Miss Angela, Miss Angela! Come quick, to Harmonica Town!" Colleen was in a frazzled state. Angela was just about to start her morning chores, before she arrived, knocking frantically at her door.

"Calm down, calm down," she tried to calm her. "Take a deep breath, and tell me what's wrong."

Colleen did as she was told, before continuing. "It's horrible, just horrible, Miss Angela! Kathy, that waitress at the bar; she was found, this morning. Near the lighthouse, dead. And poor Paolo, he was the one who found her. The poor child is scarred now; he won't stop stuttering and crying."

"What happened to her?" Angela gasped. She couldn't believe it; one of her best friends… was dead? _How could this have happened?_ "I want to see her."

"Okay, but I'm warning you; the entire scene is gruesome." Colleen said. Angela nodded, and they made their way to the lighthouse in silence.

Colleen was absolutely right. It was revolting. The air around the beach stunk of rotting flesh. Angela approached Kathy's corpse slowly, trying her best not to gag. She kept her nose plugged and kept a straight face as she kneeled next to the body.

Kathy's body was completely split in two, having been cut at the waist. Dried blood caked the ground, staining the grass and sands a dark, burgundy. Maggots crawled in and out of her insides, and flies buzzed around the area as well. They would land on her flesh, then lift off again not a second later. Though that seemed to be the most disgusting part, the most horrifying was her face. The sides of Kathy's mouth were slit, so that she appeared to be smiling. Her emerald green eyes were dull and lifeless. Last but not least, an 'A' was carved into her forehead.

That was enough for Angela. She could no longer hold it in. Running behind the lighthouse, she leaned over and emptied the contents of her stomach into the ocean. After, she wiped her mouth and quickly jogged back to where the villagers stood, near the fishery. The creepy smile forever implanted on Kathy's face, along with the empty look in her eyes made Angela shudder. _Don't cry, don't cry. I have to stay strong._

Angela stopped in front of the crowd. Their expressions were all despondent. Kevin was nowhere to be found. The children cried, while parents hugged them to their chests. Caleb was crying the hardest, sobbing into Owen's chest. He and Ramsey were trying their hardest to comfort him, by hugging him, patting him on the head, whispering words of comfort in his ears. But nothing seemed to work; his screams pierced the air. His cries for his mother made others cringe and their eyes brim with tears. Nothing could be said to fully comfort him. His mother was gone. She would never be there again to tuck him in his bed, or read him a bedtime story. He would never be able to see her again. He wished he'd at least told her he loved her.

The funeral was held the same night. They were all gathered around her closed coffin, about to be lowered into the ground. Caleb still cried, but his tears were now silent. Not a single cloud covered the sky. Millions of stars twinkled in the distance.

More and more dirt was shoveled in, until the hole was filled. A cross was implanted where her grave was. Soon, it would be replaced with a gravestone.

Kevin did not attend her funeral. The villagers didn't know why, but thought it would be best to leave him alone.

When Angela and her family were back home, they each went into their rooms to change and get ready for bed. Once they were ready, Angela tucked in Reese and Auden, as it was her turn to do so.

"Mommy," Auden sniffled. "Promise you and daddy won't leave us?"

"Yeah," Reese chimed in. "Promise."

"Your father and I won't leave you, no matter what," Angela gave a sad smile. "We love you both. Now, listen. I'm going to read you more from my story."

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_For some time, life began to fade in the land and sea. The fire died down, the fish didn't bite, crops were difficult to grow. The villagers were desperately crying for help, and it eventually came. A new girl, aiming to become a farmer, arrived to save the day, although she didn't know it at first. She met the Harvest Goddess, who told her of the mission she was to complete; to find the five bells, and place them on their pedestals so that they would ring again. The first bell she was sent to find was the red bell, which Alan guarded. It was almost within her reach, before it was launched in the air by a child playing with it, and landed in the chimney that belonged to the blacksmith's shop. To get it out, the farmer had to mine for ores, so that the blacksmith could get it out. Eventually, she completed her task, and placed the red bell back on its pedestal in the mines. When Alan rung it, the air was filled with a beautiful melody, which all the villagers heard and rejoiced to._

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**Don't worry, I won't describe each death as well as that one. There's a reason I picked Kathy to be the first one to go; it has nothing to do with the plot, so I'm okay with telling you guys. The title for this, **_**Dahlia**_**, was based off a murder somebody told me about; The Black Dahlia murder. In fact, the idea for this entire story sprouted from me reading about it. Therefore, Kathy's way of dying is similar to how the person was murdered. An 'A' was not carved in her forehead, though. That was all mine. Hope you at least liked it, a review would make my day. Until next time.**

**-blacksunset1214**


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